Reflections From The Past
by MercyDarkrose
Summary: Bosco and mercedes reflect on their past when trapped in the subway.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: These Characters are NOT mine. The Cast of Third Watch is owned by NBC, and the Character is owned by Fyre.  
  
Thank You: To Fyre for letting me use her character and listening to my babbling!  
  
Synopsis: mercedes and Bosco talk about their past, when they are trapped inthe subway. Slight Child Abuse sequences involved.  
  
Mercedes woke up in the afternoon and stretched. Looking at her sleeping husband she smiled and pressed her body to his, kissing his neck softly. Carlos moaned and rolled onto his back as Mercedes got on top of him. He opened his eyes and smiled, looking up at her.  
  
"Morning Sexy." She leaned down, kissing him deeply. Carlos kissed her back and slid his hands over her arms and pulled her body so it lay on top of him. Her hands moved up his sides as they heard a knock on the door.  
  
"MMM. Go away." She said, between kisses as she moved down, kissing his built chest. Just then Bosco barged in and started to say something. Seeing her he turned around and promptly shut the door.  
  
"I think we scared him." Carlos said, laughing. Mercedes laughed and got off of him.  
  
"Let me go see what he wants." Covering her nude body with one of Carlos' FDNY shirts, she walked out to the kitchen and looked at her brother.  
  
"You barged?" She said sarcastically as she poured a cup of coffee.  
  
"Must you do that? Mikey's in the other room. What if it was him that walked in?" Bosco turned and looking at her. Just the thought of his sister having sex made his stomach heave. The feeling was mutual about him for her.  
  
"I know he wouldn't because Ma picked him up for their monthly Aunt Stella trip." She looked at him, leaning on the counter. Carlos came out in a pair of Tweety boxers and she smirked as Bosco laughed.  
  
"Tweety? Oh my god! How weak!" Bosco doubled over in laughter as Carlos pouted, looking at Mercedes for support.  
  
"Shut up, Mickey Mouse!" She looked at his boxers and busted out laughing. He was wearing Mickey Mouse in police uniform boxers. Carlos laughed and poured coffee.  
  
"So, what are you two lifesavers going to do for your day off today?" Carlos looked to them and poured milk in his coffee.   
  
"We're doing something together?" She looked to her brother as her brows furrowed.  
  
"Yes, don't you remember? We said we would go to Times Square and go to the clubs."  
  
"Oh yeah! I only agreed so I could go shopping!" She smiled at him as he frowned. He disliked shopping, especially for clothes. That was one of the reasons he loved living with his sister, she did all the shopping.  
  
"And I thought you wanted to stand out there holding a 'I Love You Brittany Spears' sign." He knew she hated Brittany Spears with a passion.  
  
"Oh yeah, just like you are gunna hold up the 'I Want to Make Out With You Justin' Poster board!" She slapped his arm and he pouted. They had a pouting thing in their family.  
  
"Ok, as long as you two have something to do. I need to get ready for work." Carlos looked at them and moved towards the bedroom, turning the shower on.  
  
"Go get ready, and don't bother us." Mercedes gave that look of 'You don't want to know' and ran into the bedroom, closing the door. Bosco cringed and went into his room. Mercedes went into the shower and shed the shirt, getting in with him.  
  
"Hello there. I thought you might like some help." She smiled and looked to him, sliding her hands down his wet chest.  
  
"I'll always take help from you. Where were we?" He grabbed her and lifted her so she straddled his waist. She smiled; kissing him deeply as the water made their bodies hotter.  
  
"I can show you where." She slid over his body and giggled.  
  
(Sorry folks. Just guess what they were doing. Not going into details.) 


	2. Chapter 2

Mercedes walked with her brother to the subway opening. They paid for their coin and then moved to the platform, to wait for the subway trains. Amazingly, for a Tuesday afternoon, the platform was empty. She looked around and smirked.  
  
"Did we miss something? Where is everyone?" She looked up to him.  
  
"Not sure. The less the people, the better. I hate the subway." He shook his head, wondering why, on his day off there was no one around, but when he's chasing a perp, there are 100 people in his way.  
  
"Then why are we taking it? You have a car." She was curious as to why he said to take the subway.  
  
"There is nowhere to park on the streets of Lower Manhattan. You know this. Easier to do this. Take a picture, it only happens once a year." He looked at her as she took out an imaginary camera and made a clicking noise.   
  
"I'm ready for my close-up" He made some dumb poses and then moved his hands to push her away.  
  
"Awe! Just one more. Smile for the camera." She stopped and laughed at him crossing his eyes and sticking his tongue out.   
  
"No more autographs, please. I'll get a cramp" He laughed and pulled his sister so he held her under his arm.  
  
"Where the hell is this train? They are always on time." She was under his arm as it wrapped around her shoulder. She heard the train and felt the breeze coming from the tunnel as the platform rattled slightly. The train stopped and they got onto the 2nd car. Mercedes had a thing about the first 3 cars. She just felt safer. Maurice followed her as they sat in a seat facing forward. Looking around, there was no one the train either. Mercedes looked around, confused.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked softly, not really noticing that were the only ones on the train.  
  
"There's no one on here too. What's up?" She looked out the window as the train started to pull away.  
  
"Good. No one around, we can enjoy the lack of stupid conversation."  
  
"We make stupid conversation."  
  
"We're different. When it's ours, it's not so stupid." He smiled at her. She just shook her head. She liked sitting on the outside seat.   
  
"So, what are we going to do when we get there?" She wanted a plan, so they didn't have to walk the same 15 blocks 45 times.  
  
"I don't know. You said you wanted to go shopping. Maybe we could stop at the huge Disney store near 42nd and buy Carlos some Piglet Boxers." He laughed.  
  
"Not funny. I like he's cute in his Tweety boxers."  
  
"You think he's cute in anything." He commented, flatly.  
  
"I want to see that new Ferris Wheel in Toys 'R Us."  
  
"Ok, Disney Store, Toys 'R Us. What's next? Saks 5th Avenue?"  
  
"No. Maybe Tiffany's." She knew they could never afford to shop in there. She was just messing with him.  
  
"Umm, hmm, No. Let's just walk up 42nd and through Times Square, down to Broadway, over to 54th, then we can, if we have time, go Staten Island and visit the mall." He knew his sister loved the Staten Island Mall. But they never had time to go there.  
  
"You? On the Ferry?" She looked shocked. He never got on the ferry. He would prefer to pay $7.00 to cross the Veranzano.   
  
"Yes, the Ferry. It's just easier, and it's only $3.00 a person. Then we can take the bus to the Mall. It's a direct route down Hylan Boulevard." He hated taking the Ferry, but he knew she loved it. She loved everything about New York.  
  
"I don't really want to go to Staten Island. What about Central Park? They have that Musical Carnival thing. Why don't we see that? We can either walk the 50 blocks, or take the subway."   
  
"Central Park? All right. I know you like those Musical things." He thought back about his sister's life. She danced, she sang, she could play 3 different instruments. He wondered why, out of all her passions, she became a Firefighter.  
  
"Good! You'll have fun! We get some fried do-" She was cut off by the sound of steel grinding, the brakes squealing and the force of an impact throwing her across the train and onto the floor in front of the doors. Maurice yelled as she screamed and the train went black. 


	3. Chapter 3

Carlos walked into the station with a smirk on his face. Kim looked at him and then to Doc, shaking her head. Doc looked up at Carlos and knew why he had that grin on his face. Jimmy and Walsh were making pasta and were almost done when DK nudged them, trying to get them to look at Carlos. Carlos moved to his locker and got his work clothes out.  
  
"You got some last night!" Jimmy sat at the table and started eating a piece of meatball. Kim laughed as Doc just smiled, going back his paperwork. Carlos looked over and nodded.  
  
"Ok, No Details! Mercedes is like my Sister, Do not tell me!" Jimmy shook his head as he popped some pasta in his mouth.  
  
"Yes, please do not share! I prefer to look at Mercedes as the pure teenager I met her as. Not as your sex freaked wife." Walsh piped in sitting with a platter of food.  
  
"I don't kiss and tell." Carlos moved to the stairs.  
  
"Don't kiss and tell my ass! Before you went out with Mercedes you gave every disgusting detail about your love life." Kim looked at him. The entire table nodded.  
  
"That was then, this is now. Mercedes is my wife now, and you all know her. I wouldn't dare kiss and tell about wild crazy sex in the shower for over an hour." He laughed, walking upstairs.  
  
"Awe man! Carlos!" Jimmy covered his face as Doc tossed the pen down.  
  
"My lunch is ruined." Walsh moved the patter and just sighed.  
  
Carlos and Doc went down to the 55-3 and started setting her up. Doc re-supplied the cabinets as Carlos got the stretcher ready to go. They heard the alarm go off and the hustle of men running down the stairs.  
  
"Squad 55, respond to Subway crash. Possible fire on scene, train vs. train. All personnel respond. Police on scene. Injuries confirmed."  
  
Carlos and Doc jumped into the Bus as Kim and Levine hopped into 55-2. Squad 55 pulled out and raced to the scene of the accident. Doc looked over at Carlos who was biting his fingernails.   
  
"What's wrong?" Doc looked over at him, as he turned a corner.  
  
"Mercedes and Bosco took the subway today. I hope she's all right."  
  
"There are 6 million people in New York that takes the Subway. The odds are being involved are 6 million to 1. Don't worry, I am sure she is out doing her girly stuff and dragging her brother out of every store in Manhattan by now. No one is that unlucky."  
  
"I hope so." Carlos was still worried. As they pulled up to the Subway entrance. The 55 Squad got out and looked at Monroe who was paired with Davis.   
  
"What do we have?" Jimmy looked at Swertzky who was walking up the stairs.  
  
"2 Subway trains crashed together. The back 7 cars of the first train are fine. The front three are a mess. I got another team on the other side of the accident, waiting for a response from them."  
  
"We can't do anything until they move the good cars."  
  
"They are in the process of doing that now. They have a conductor downstairs unhooking the good cars. As soon as they do that, do whatever it is you need to do. We have 3 people in the 3rd car, and unknown from there on in. As soon as I get an answer from the other team, I'll let you know."  
  
"All right, tell the conductor we are going to clear the 3rd car, then he can move that one. We will clear each one at a time and get it out of there. Where exactly is the crash?"  
  
"Halfway between the 2 stops. I'll let him know." Swertzky went back downstairs to relay the messages.  
  
"Walsh, get me the Jaws and any available tools. Something tells me we're gunna have to cut and pry our way in." Walsh got the equipment with DK and the team ran downstairs, to wait for the signal to proceed. 


	4. Chapter 4

Thank You: Fyre for writing the Flashback scene!  
  
Mercedes opened her eyes to see complete blackness. She started to panic and got up, feeling pain shoot through her right arm. She tried to move it but she knew the elbow was dislocated. Looking around, she tried to remember where she was. Pulling out her penlight, she turned it on, seeing the mangled train car. She remembered what was going on and looked for her brother.  
  
"Mo? Maurice? Oh god, Mo?" She crawled with her available hand and looked for him.  
  
"Over here." She heard his voice and looked over at him, crawling to him, she saw he had a cut on his cheek and forehead.   
  
"Are you all right?" She moved to his side and sat down.  
  
"Yeah, just a bump on the head, you?" He looked at her; the penlight made almost no light.  
  
"I think my elbow is dislocated, but other than that, I'm fine." She leaned against him and sighed, shuddering.  
  
"God, of all places, it had to be in a tunnel, under the streets of New York."  
  
"Mo, I'm scared."  
  
"So am I." They both hated the dark. A childhood nightmare was becoming reality all over again as the time went by.  
  
"You know it could take days to get us out of here, right?" She looked up at him.  
  
"Don't say that." He didn't want to know he would be trapped in the wreckage for more than 2 hours. He looked around as he heard steel grinding and brakes squealing. The car shifted slightly and Mercedes grabbed a hold of him, thinking it was going to collapse. They heard yelling of people in the 3rd car and shivered.  
  
"You know, I remember the first day you were born. How ironic we are stuck here, looking possible death in the face, and I think of the day you were born." He looked down at her. She looked up and smiled.  
  
"Tell me?" She never really heard any stories about her birth other than him taking credit for her middle name.  
  
"Well, it was Valentine's day, 1978..."  
  
*****Flashback*****  
  
I sat in my kindergarten classroom, staring ahead at my teacher Mrs. Rouke as she told us how to pass on the Valentines Day Cards. I sighed hoping she would just shut up so we could pass the damn things out already.   
  
My eyes slowly go to the window as I see snow begin to fall. I start praying it snows so much that tomorrow is a snow day. I hate school especially this school. It both sucks and blows.   
  
"Maurice!" I hear someone yelling my name and I look up front.  
  
"Maurice you can start passing out your Valentines now. I nod in reply as I gather them from my desk. I make my way around the classroom dropping in each card. Into little white paper bags we drew stupid things on like hearts and I love you crap. I never under stood this holiday much. Other then its some artificial crap made by the greeting card companies to rape us Americans of our hard-earned money. It sucks, I hate it.   
  
Before I knew it, it was finally time to go home. Thank God. I knew I had plenty to do when I got home. Besides the homework my teacher gave me. I had to help Mikey with his preschool assignments, and my Ma with stuff. She's pregnant, with a girl. I'm going to have a little sister and if anyone messes with her. I'm kicking their ass. My Ma has a name picked out too. Mercedes Lynn Boscorelli. She really has a thing for that car, so that's going to be the baby's name.   
  
The snow is falling harder now and I keep thinking about getting a Snow Day. My little brother Mikey catches up to me. He's babbling about how the girl he likes, Jenny, made him a Valentine. Good for him, I still hate this holiday and girls have cooties. If he wants cooties, then he can have cooties.  
  
We finally get home and my old man is sitting in his chair watching TV. He doesn't seem to be drinking yet. Which is good; less for me to worry about. I don't have to worry about him hurting my Ma or Mikey. My Ma was taking a nap when I got in. So I head towards to her room to see how she is.  
  
"Mom?" I ask opening the door.   
  
"Hey Hun." She tells me as she pats on the bed.  
  
"Come here. How was school?"   
  
"Fine." I tell her, moving to her side of the bed.  
  
"It's snowing now." I state matter of factly.   
  
"Maybe you and Mikey can go sledding tomorrow."   
  
"Maybe there will be no school tomorrow."   
  
My Mom laughs, but she doesn't know I'm serious. I really don't want to go to school tomorrow. She makes a face.  
  
"Mom you okay?" I ask her slightly scared.   
  
"Yes Maurice I'm fine, your sister is just kicking that's all."   
  
"Can I feel?" I ask softly.   
  
"Sure." My Mom replies taking my hand and putting it on her belly. I laugh feeling her kick. It's kind of weird.  
  
"I'm going to be the best big brother ever. I won't let anything happen to her. I'm going to teach her everything I know." My Mom smiles.  
  
"I know you'll be one Maurice. You already are to Mikey. To me you're a great son as well."   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was about 7pm and we were just finishing up dinner when I heard my Mom call for my Dad from the bathroom. All of the sudden he's rushing around like a chicken with its head cut off.   
  
"Dad what's going on?" I ask while doing the dishes.   
  
"Get ya brother together ya mom is having the baby."   
  
I smile. My baby sister is coming. She's coming. I do as my Dad says and get him together and before we know it were at the hospital.   
  
~*~*~*~*~   
  
I sat next to my Mom on her bed as she feed Mercedes. She's so tiny, it's strange, and it's hard to believe I was once that small.  
  
"Mommy." I say softly holding my sisters little, very little hand for a moment.   
  
"What about naming her Love and not Mercedes. Cause she was born on Valentines Day." I tell my Mom. I was proud of the name I came up with and was sure my Mom was going to like it.   
  
"Maurice, I like the name Mercedes, I've already settled on it." She tells me crushing my hopes.   
  
"But I'll tell you what. How about Love as a middle name. Mercedes Love Boscorelli?"   
  
I smile. I just helped name my baby sister. Now I know I have to always protect her. I have to protect Mercedes Love Boscorelli. 


	5. Chapter 5

"You mean dad wasn't drunk that day?" She kept the penlight on, hoping it wouldn't die.  
  
"Yeah, for once, he wasn't drunk." Maurice smiled, remembering the happy day.  
  
"That is amazing. One for the books." She said sarcastically.  
  
"You know what else I remember?"   
  
"What?"  
  
"The day you graduated High School and got accepted to NYU." He looked down at her.  
  
"Oh, well, that was in the past." She looked down, remembering that day well.  
  
*****Flashback*****  
  
"Welcome to the graduating class of 1996!" The principal said into the mike at the podium in Central Park.  
  
"I would like to you all to welcome our Valedictorian of the class of 1996, Mercedes Boscorelli!" The entire audience cheered, making Central Park echo as Mercedes stood up and moved to the podium.  
  
"Thank You. As we all know, graduating High School is a pivotal step in our lives. Some of us will go on to be Doctor's, Lawyers, and some of us will go on to Government jobs. Some will succeed and some will fail. Whatever path you take in life will be your own. It started in High School, and the minute you stepped into the building, you made your choice. Some of us have gotten accepted to top rate colleges, and some of us have to go to community college, and there are a few who decided college wasn't for them. Whatever path you decide on, it is your own. I am not going to go on about life's choices and fate, because I do not believe in them. Fate is what you make it, not what it makes of you. Our independent lives start now. No more needing our parents, no more childish behavior. In high school we had cliche's, Most popular, The Geeks, The sports, the brains, and the blessed. We are no longer in those clichés. In the real world, you are just another person trying to make it. High School is over, welcome to the real world." She walked back to her seat as everyone started to clap. The principal went up and called off the names in alphabetical order. When Mercedes was called, she moved to get her diploma and then went down to sit with her family. She smiled, getting off the stage and made her way to her Mother, Maurice, and Mikey. She sat on Maurice's lap and giggled as he whispered to her.  
  
When the ceremony ended, people say their goodbyes, mingling. Mercedes stayed by her family, as one of the Football heroes's walked up  
  
"Congratulations, Valedictorian." He picked her up and swung her around as she laughed.  
  
"Go catch a football, Jag off." Maurice pointed in the opposite direction. The guy looked at him, putting her down and walked away. She looked at him, like he was insane.  
  
"What was that about?" She slapped his arm.  
  
"I know his intention with you! I was his age once."  
  
"Mo, He is my lab partner. He is dating one of the Cheerleaders, nothing will ever happen between us. He's not my type."  
  
"Yeah, lab partners, that's their excuse one-minute."  
  
"Oh will you two stop?" Mikey wrapped his arms around their shoulders and kissed her cheek.  
  
"Congrats, Sis. What's next for you? What's your major at NYU?"  
  
"Fire Science. Much to Ma's dismay, I applied for the fire academy. I start in July."  
  
"Fire Science? You are going to be one of New York's lifesavers?"  
  
"Going to try. I wanted the police academy, but I think 2 Boscorelli's on the team would just ruin the 55." She eyed her brother and kissed him softly.  
  
"They couldn't handle the 2 of us together. The streets would be cleared and we would all be out of a job."  
  
"Yeah, that's it, we did it for all the cops' jobs in New York. " She leaned on Mikey as he wrapped his arms around her. Just then her mom came and held her.  
  
"My baby girl is Valedictorian! My baby, my baby! I knew you could do it!" She squeezed her daughter and Mercedes winced as her mom popped her back.  
  
"Ma, let her go. Don't paralyze the poor girl." Mo looked at them and just shook his head. Her Ma froze and looked over as Anthony Boscorelli walked over. Mo froze and Mikey slid behind Mo.  
  
"I hear congratulations are in order. You made Valedictorian. Never knew you could surmount past a cheap slut." He said, looking down at her with no expression.  
  
"Get the hell out of here, Dad." Mo looked up at him and pointed away.  
  
"I just came to see my daughter graduate. Wow, your chunking out there Mercedes ever hear of a Nutritionist?" He looked at her and looked Rose.  
  
"Not here, Anthony, go away." She held her daughter's hand.  
  
"Fine, I'll go. She's just a lowly piece of trash like you're other kids." He walked away. No one knew at the time that his one comment about her weight had destroyed her in more ways than one. 


	6. Chapter 6

Jimmy crawled into the 3rd train and met the 3 people in it, calming them down. DK and Jimmy then proceeded to helping the people get out and to safety. After numerous hours of cutting metal and pulling pieces apart, they managed to get to the 2nd car. Jimmy looked in, seeing total darkness. He yelled for a flashlight and DK passed him one.   
  
"Is there anyone in here? Are you all right?" He yelled, flashing the light and saw Mercedes and Bosco sitting in the corner. Mercedes looked up at the light and smiled.   
  
"We're here Jimmy! We're fine, just get us out of here!"  
  
"Mercedes? Bosco? All right, It'll take a while, are you sure there are no injuries?"  
  
"Just my arm, but I can deal. Just get us out of here!"  
  
Jimmy nodded and jumped down, looking at DK and Walsh.  
  
"It's Mercedes and Bosco. They are the only ones in there. They seem to be fine; they've been in there since the beginning. We got to get them out." He yelled for the conductor, who was trying to figure out a way to get the semi-mangled 3rd car out of the way. When he came over, Jimmy started telling him what to do.  
  
"Ok, pull the 3rd car away from the 2nd. We can cut into the mangled steel with the saw. You have to, there be a cop and a firefighter trapped in there."  
  
"Doing that could tear apart the cab, or worse, hurt them even more."  
  
"Just try it. They seemed all right, and in a safe position. How long will it take?"  
  
"At least another 2 hours. It's not like I just pull the 3rd cab away like the other 7. It'll grind and I have to go slowly."  
  
"Just do it. If anything happens to the second car, I will yell and you stop got it?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll try my best." The conductor went off to do what he was told as Jimmy jumped up on the 3rd car, moving to the second and looking in.  
  
"Mercedes, we're going to try to move the third car. If anything in there happens that endangers you, yell for me and I will have it stopped. Got it?"  
  
"Yeah, Jimmy. Just hurry. This place is creeping me out."  
  
"I will, just hang in there." He stayed on the second car, to make sure nothing happened to it as the 3rd car was pulled away slowly.  
  
In the cab, Maurice and Mercedes kept talking about the past, and how their lives have changed.  
  
"I remember when you graduated from the police academy. That was the funniest day."  
  
"Not as funny as your fire academy graduation. They got you so bad on your class. The hose-down was hilarious." He started to laugh as she frowned. 


	7. Chapter 7

*****Flashback*****  
  
Mercedes stood in uniform, waiting for her name to be called. She felt so awesome. She the only girl to survive training at the fire academy. She was surrounded by 19 men that were taller, wider, and stronger than she was, but she made it. When her name was called, she stepped up and received her certification and recognition as the only female of her class. She smiled and accepted, walking off the platform. She moved to brothers and mother, who was crying.  
  
"Awe, Ma, why are you crying?"  
  
"I never thought I would see the day my baby girl became one of the guys."  
  
"Ma, I'm not one of the guys yet. I still need my station assignment. Then I will find out if I am one of the guys."  
  
"What if you get put in a different precinct than your brother? No one will be able to watch over you."  
  
"Ma, I applied for 32nd or 55th. Mo knows all the guys in the 32nd and we both know all the guys in the 55th. Besides, if Lieu did what he promised, I'll get the 55 without a doubt."  
  
"Now you call him Lieu?" Rose burst into tears.  
  
"Mo, help me out here. Tell her it'll all be all right."  
  
"Ma, Mercedes will be fine. If she gets into the 55th, I will be around, and she knows everyone on the Third Watch. She's new so she will get in the same shift as them. Don't worry, they are good people, very protective. We're one big happy family."  
  
"Thanks Mo. Dad isn't here, is he?" She cringed. She had missed the first year and had to re-apply the second year. When her father told her she was chunking out, she had progressed to anorexia and was too weak to even try and get in. She had almost died, and Mo was the one that saved her. Which drove her harder to become a firefighter and a paramedic. She wanted to prove she was over her problems and could move on, and she did.  
  
"My baby sister, one of the guys." Mikey hugged her tightly.  
  
"Thanks, Mikey. Glad you could make it. You still clean?" She looked over him, eyeing him.  
  
"Yes, I'm clean. Stop worrying about me; look at you, Little Miss Firefighter." Mikey flicked her little bun and she spun around.  
  
"Watch it. I may be small, but during the academy I learned how to bench-press 250 pounds. You weigh half that don't make me embarrass you in front of Mo."  
  
"Oh, listen to her. Miss hard ass now. I swear, you become more like Mo every month." He cracked at her about her time of the month.  
  
"You aren't careful, I'm gunna become Mo right now and cuff you." She smacked Mikey upside the head.  
  
"Oh that's it!" Mikey picked her up over his shoulder and ran around with her, as she kicked her legs and squealed.  
  
"Graduates! You Have Your Station Assignments! Come Get Them!" The Chief yelled. Mercedes got down, walking over to get the envelope. Coming back a moment later, the group looked at her as she opened it, reading it, she frowned.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" Mo looked at her as she held the paper. Looking up at him she sighed.  
  
"I got into the 55." She was faking it the entire time. Mo grabbed her and started tickling her.  
  
"Don't ever do that again!" He pinned to the ground, tickling her.  
  
"You're going to mess up my uniform! Get off me!" She kicked at him. He got off of her and helped her up.  
  
"Who are you training under?"  
  
"I am probie under Jimmy Doherty." Oh, Jimmy Doherty. Mercedes thought he was one of the cutest firefighters she had ever seen. Those muscles, that build, those dimples. Mo made a face.  
  
"Around the block Doherty, he's the worst of the bucket boys. He touches you the wrong way; I'll kill him."  
  
"Mo, give it a rest. I am not in the position to have a relationship, nor do I plan on starting one now, especially with Doherty."  
  
"My baby girl is grown up!" Rose starting crying on Mikey's shoulder as he held her, rolling his eyes.  
  
"She did this at your graduation too Mo." He just pet his mothers hair and sighed.  
  
"Yeah she did. My Army and Police one. She'll get over it Mercedes, don't worry."  
  
"I'm not worried I just-" She got cut off as she got knocked over by the water from the hose line her graduating class hooked up. She jumped up and looked at them, completely soaked.  
  
"You better cool off their, Boscorelli! Things might get too hot for ya!" The graduating class laughed as she tried to ring out her clothes.  
  
"You guys are so NOT funny!" She laughed and threw mud at them. Out of nowhere a mud fight ensued. After an hour of war, Mercedes moved towards her family, who were waiting at the car, and looked at them.  
  
"Umm. Does this mean I have to ride on the trunk?" 


	8. Chapter 8

*****WARNING*****  
  
This chapter contains graphic abuse. Skip if you do not want to read.  
  
Mercedes heard the grinding of metal on metal as the 55 tried to cut the subway car up to get them out. She just sighed.  
  
"You remember when you joined the Army?"  
  
"Yeah. Ma was so upset at me for joining."  
  
"So was I. I didn't know if I could make it without you near me, escpecially for that amount of time."  
  
"You did though."  
  
"Yeah, barely. I was 13 and Dad was still around. God that was hard on Mikey and I. He started drugs right after you left. He couldn't handle dad anymore."  
  
"Are you blaming me for Mikey's drug abuse?"  
  
"No, I blame dad."  
  
"Good."  
  
*****Flashback*****  
  
"Mercedes! Get your ass over here!" Anthony Boscorelli screamed. She was in her room doing her homework. It was the day Maurice was due to go to Boot Camp. Mercedes walked out and looked at him, the pen in her hand.  
  
"Yeah, Dad?"  
  
"Come here, sit on my lap."  
  
"Umm." She didn't know what to do. In her 13 years her father has never said that to her.  
  
"Now!" He yelled pointing to his lap. She moved to him and sat on his lap. His arms went around her as he hugged her. She felt a sense of love for a moment, before the shock of pain searing through her back. He had punched her right against the spine. She cried out in surprise and pain and the threw her to the floor. She looked up at him in shock.  
  
"What did I do?"  
  
"You were born. Go get dressed so we can go to you waste of space brothers departure." She ran into her room and got dressed. She heard a knock and Mikey walked in slowly. He was 16 and covered in bruises that could be seen through his wife beater.  
  
"Hey, Mikey. He got to you too, huh?"  
  
"Yeah. I don't know if he's doing it because Mo is leaving or because he just wants to."  
  
"He hit in me in the back. We can't let Mo see, or he'll flip out."  
  
"If we let him see, maybe he won't go away."  
  
"I don't want him to go anymore than you do, but it's something he wants to do. We have to let him be himself. He can't always come to our rescue anymore. He's 18, an adult."  
  
"I can't live here without him, Merc. I can't. He was our stronghold and now he's going."  
  
"I will be here. We are strong."  
  
"I started doing Coke, Merc. It was the only way out of the pain he inflicted." Mercedes stared at her brother and dropped the dress she held.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I started doing Coke."  
  
"Awe god, Mikey!"  
  
"Don't tell Mo!"  
  
"I won't, but why? Because of Dad?"  
  
"Yes, I couldn't take it anymore. I have been doing it for 3 months now."  
  
"God damn it Mikey." She sat on her bed, and hugged him as he cried on her shoulder.  
  
"I don't know if I can make it alive without Mo."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Mo, Mikey, Mercedes, Rose and Anthony stood at Grand Central Station, waiting for Mo's train to arrive. Mercedes was crying with Rose as Mikey held it back. He was about to snap and needed a fix, bad.  
  
"My trains about to come. Who's going to say good-bye?" Mo said, looking at Mercedes.  
  
"I will." She moved up to him and he dropped his bags, hugging her tightly. He hit the spot her father just hit and she bit her lip, trying not to cry out.  
  
"I love you Mercedes. You're my girl." He said softly into her ear.  
  
"You can't leave Mo. Please don't go."  
  
"I have to. I enlisted. I'll be back in 8 weeks."  
  
"No, we can't survive that long without you."  
  
"Come visit me. In 1 month I can have a visitor, I want it to be you."  
  
"I love you Mo." She started to cry on his shoulder. Seeing him in fatigues made her want him to stay more than ever. Everyone said their good-byes as he got on the train and Mercedes fell to her knees, sobbing.  
  
"Oh get over it you stupid bytch." Anthony said, walking towards the car. Mercedes ran down the platform after the train, crying  
  
"He's hitting us again! Mo, please! Come back!" As the train went out of site she felt something grab her hair. Her father had grabbed her dark ringlets and moved her, taking her to the car and looking around, he threw her in the trunk  
  
"Stupid Bytch. Had to scream that out loud, didn't you." He got in the driver's seat and drove off. Mikey sat in the backseat, holding his hair in his hands, trying to block out the anger and hurt.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
That night Mercedes got the beating of her life. She sat in the closet, once again, except this time, Mo wasn't there to get her out. Mikey was too high to even hear her getting beat and had passed out. She sat in the closet, crying, hysterically for days. Her mother had found her, and broke the padlock, and let her out. Mercedes was rushed to the hospital and held for 48 hours. She told the doctors that she fell down the cellar steps and broke the banister, and that's how her back got messed up. Mikey had disappeared for days, and knew nothing of what had happened.  
  
Maurice had called to talk to them, but Rose told him she was at a friend's house. She couldn't bear to tell her eldest son she had been beaten within an inch of her life and left in the closet for almost a week. All she told him was that she had kicked her father out of the house and had him arrested.  
  
*****End Flashback*****  
  
"Dad did that to you? Why didn't you tell me before I got on the train?"  
  
"I knew it was something you wanted to do. And I couldn't stop you. I wanted to. I wanted to keep you by my side my entire life, and you wanted to do that. I couldn't stop you from following your dream. You made sure I was protected, it was he least I could do."  
  
"Mercedes! I-" Jimmy running in cut him off  
  
"You two still all right?"  
  
"Yeah, just get us out of here." She stood up and leaned on Jimmy and Maurice stood up and followed him. Jimmy got them to the ground and the paramedics ran over. Carlos grabbed his wife and looked her over, then embraced her, hugging her tightly. She kissed him deeply, looking to Mo, who was sitting in the bus, sighing.  
  
"Come on, Love. We're going to take you to Mercy to get checked out."  
  
"I'm fine hunny."  
  
"Do it for me?"  
  
"Only if Mo does too."  
  
"If I don't, Swertzky will have my ass."  
  
"Then it's settled. Come on Love." Carlos led her to the bus and sat next to her. She looked at her brother and smiled.  
  
"Memories." 


	9. Chapter 9

Mercedes sat on the couch and rested her head on Mo's shoulder. He put his hand around her shoulder and held her as they watched an episode of Charmed. Mo whistled seeing Alyssa Milano.  
  
"I'd do her."  
  
"No comment." She poked him in the side. It had been 2 days since the subway accident, and it was their last day off. Carlos walked in, from his lunch break and looked at them, smiling. Mikey ran after his father and jumped on his leg.   
  
"Daddy!" Carlos picked up Mikey and resting him in his hip as he walked over to his wife and brother-in-law. Mercedes looked up at Carlos and smiled softly.  
  
"Your dinners in the microwave. I just put it in there not 5 minutes ago."  
  
"Great, did Mikey eat?" Carlos took off his coat after placing Mikey in the sofa next to Mo. Making his way into the kitchen, he grabbed the plate and a fork.   
  
"He wanted to wait for you. He said he wanted to eat like a man. Wonder where he got that from." She rolled her eyes at the thought of DK and Walsh telling him that.  
  
"Eat like a man? How is eating with me gunna be eating like a man?"  
  
"You are one, aren't you? At least you were last night in bed." She smirked, looking over her brother's shoulder.  
  
"Awe damn it, Merc! Stop sharing that shit with me!" Mo gently moved her off his shoulder and walked into the kitchen to get a plate.   
  
"Carlos, where's your partner?" She walked to the door and looked out.  
  
"She's in the Bus."  
  
"You left Levine in the bus?"  
  
"Yeah, she's medatating. She said she would come up, but our house has bad Fend Shui. Whatever that is."  
  
"God she's a fruit!" Mo walked to the table and placed the plate on the table, walking to get a soda.  
  
"She's nice, leave her alone, Mo" Mercedes sat with them, putting a plate in front of Mikey and giving him a fork.  
  
"She's a weirdo. When the new guy comes, I am asking to be put with him. I can't take her tai chi or yoga or her karma or her aura's anymore."  
  
"You know you're stuck with her. Kim has to train the new guy. We had to sit with Doc, and now the new guys have to sit with Kim."  
  
"Yeah, Doc. He hasn't been the same since Alex died." Carlos kept eating as Mercedes looked down. Mercedes knew it should have been her that day, but the smoke was too bad and they didn't want her near it. So she stood watching the scene, and witnessed her best friend and the only father figure in her life die. She knew whom to blame too. But she kept that quiet.  
  
"Mercedes!" Mo said loudly. Mercedes jumped out of her daze.  
  
"What!" She looked at him.  
  
"Pass the salt?" He pointed next to her arm. She slid the salt to him and got up, hearing the phone ring. Picking up she answered.  
  
"Hello? This is Mercedes Boscorelli." Her eyes looked around the apartment as she talked softly.  
  
"I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning. Thank you."  
  
"What is it Love?" Carlos looked up at her, finishing his dinner and moved to the kitchen, putting the dish in the sink.  
  
"That was Central. I am replacing Jimmy."  
  
"What do you mean? You're going to the 32nd now?"  
  
"No." She shook her head, trying to find the words to say what she had to say.  
  
"I am the new Lieu of 55." She blinked, looking at them both as Mikey sipped his milk.  
  
(Ok, I am ending it here. I have some stories that will involve Taylor's death, and her becoming the new Lieutenant. Please be patient, they will be out soon.) 


End file.
